The Brooklyn Nets, despite punting on the 2024-25 season long ago, continue to punch above their weight, thanks to the team’s resilient attitude and excellent coaching courtesy of Jordi Fernandez. On Wednesday night, the Nets made the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Western Conference’s number-one team, sweat before faltering in the fourth quarter en route to a 129-121 loss at home.
It was a surprisingly competitive game, with the Nets’ starting five playing their hearts out against the league’s best defensive team. When facing the Thunder, having pristine execution is a must, considering how well they force turnovers, and for the most part, the Nets were able to execute well offensively – with the team generating plenty of good looks from beyond the arc.
Despite the loss, the Nets made 23 triples as a unit, nailing 37.7 percent of their attempts on the night. In the process of doing so, they made history, as the 61 three-point attempts that they had on the night is the most in franchise history, as per the official ClutchPoints account on X (formerly Twitter).
Now, hoisting up 61 attempts from three isn’t exactly a recipe for success. This may simply be an indication that the offense cannot generate better looks, hence their need to settle for difficult shots from the outside. But the Nets’ shot diet was working on Wednesday, and it did help that Day’Ron Sharpe was a man possessed on the glass, helping Brooklyn haul in 18 offensive boards to compensate for some of their three-point attempts.
It was definitely stunning to see three Nets players launch 10 or more triples and none of them being Cam Johnson (Ziaire Williams had 13, Keon Johnson had 11, Killian Hayes had 10). This is not something Brooklyn would want to repeat, as the percentage game for those players isn’t exactly conductive to success.
Nets deserve credit for pushing Thunder to the brink
Expectations for the Nets are in the gutter especially when everyone following the NBA knows that they are hellbent on drafting a franchise-altering talent in the 2025 NBA Draft. Thus, it was surprising to see them lead against the Thunder as late as the fourth quarter on Wednesday night.
It’s a testament to the Nets’ plucky nature that the Thunder needed to find their second wind and unleash a fourth-quarter barrage fueled by excellent defense. There is definitely a healthy, winning ecosystem hidden beneath the surface for the Nets, and the hope is that their level of talent on the roster catches up with their level of competitiveness.
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